Sooo much pooping

[Mercedes55]

I have managed to get around to worming my girls this week. I followed the instructions on here and added a spoonful of flubenvet to 2kgs of pellets and this is day 2 of their worming. I have kept them in their WIR as I read they shouldn't have access to other foods during this week. Already they seem to be anxious to get out into the border at the back of the garden and I feel awful leaving them in the run for a whole week. As I can't put any treats in there to distract them is there anything I can do to make their time in the run more interesting

[chickenopolis]

I'm not really going to help, because when I worm our girls I still let them free-range in the garden for a few hours (and I feed them the occasional grape...which I know I shouldn't).

I just think if I left them in the run all week they would be climbing the run after day 2.

Perhaps just reduce the free-ranging time to say 10 minutes!

Sorry, I am probably not helping.... but I try not to get too stressed about it.

[sparkysmum]

Hi I use the "grape method" and let them out to play as usual. This is where you give each hen a half grape dipped in wormer each day for 7 days. A wise, knowledgable person worked out this method of dosing some time ago & many of us use it. Hope this helps. Alli xx

[Bexibex]

I had no idea you weren't supposed to let them out when they are being wormed. I let mine out. Whoops.

[Mercedes55]

I think they can FR as long as they aren't eating much when out, but of course how can you tell unless you rummage around in the borders with them

 

I have just filled a large bowl with soil and put that in the WIR and they all having fun in that for now. I guess they are missing having their daily dust baths poor things.

 

I know you can use the grape method for the worming but when I phoned the BHWT they told me to mix it in with their food so that each hen gets the right dose for their weight. I am being paranoid I am sure, it's worse than working out how much to feed a baby

[sage]

Think I will give the grape method a go next time. After a week of adding it to the pellets I found half of the worming powder at the bottom of the feeder.

 

Sage

[Chucky Mama]

Whilst the advise is to keep them in, many of us (me included) cheat and let them out. I worm mine as a routine but if I knew that there was an issue with worms I would keep them in. The recommended method is much better and I would not advise the grape method personally. I am told that it is better for the medication to be in the system over the day for the full cours rather than in 1 hit. Mixing is the key to success, you can add a little oil if need be. Mix intially with a small cupful and then keep adding and mixing bit by bit until the full amount is incorporated.

[Darren Beaumont]

I am currently using Flubenvet on mine. I added some olive oil to the pellets first so the powder would stick. The girls seem to really like the olive oil and if anything seem to be getting through the pellets faster than before.

 

I have still been letting them FR but only for about an hour a day.

[Mercedes55]

I used some olive oil when I mixed mine up too. I think it is better, from what I have read, to have the medication in their system over the whole day rather than in one single go, but each to their own I guess. I don't know if I will have to mix any more up as I am worming 4 girls. Mind you 2kg of pellets is quite a big bowl and it took me ages to mix it up using the method of mixing one cup with the powder with another cup and so forth

[chicken bark]

I used some olive oil when I mixed mine up too. I think it is better, from what I have read, to have the medication in their system over the whole day rather than in one single go, but each to their own I guess. I don't know if I will have to mix any more up as I am worming 4 girls. Mind you 2kg of pellets is quite a big bowl and it took me ages to mix it up using the method of mixing one cup with the powder with another cup and so forth

It does take a while to mix up and is a bit of a faff but at least it is only for a week every 6 months.

 

My hens don't have a run so I have to let them free range whether I'm worming them or not. I may try to worm them next at a time when all the fruit has fallen off the tree and they are not stuffing their faces on windfalls.

[Mercedes55]

I did relent and let them out into the back border for about an hour. I have to say they loved being in there as there are lots of shrubs and the border is quite wide so they all jump around the place and then settle down into having their dust baths. It's so lovely to see them having so much fun. I will be glad when they are wormed and we can get back to normal.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I wouldn't worry too much about letting them out to FR for a bit unless there is oceans of stuff for them to eat in the borders!

 

I let mine FR whilst they are on Flubenvet as the borders are fairly barren but they still get the opportunity to dig and dustbath. I don't worry about the odd bug and beetle being eaten!

 

I also recommend the mixing method of administering Flubenvet. The grape method sounds totally unscientific to me. Surely the whole point is that each hen eats a slightly different amount and so takes the correct amount of Flub according to their needs. With the grape method, surely you would need to work out how much each hen eats and therefore what weight of Flub to give each hen on the grape. Just dipping a grape in Flubenvet powder seems very hit and miss!

[beach chick]

I'm in between the two methods in terms of Flubenvetting- I have 4 feeders between 10 chooks currently, and I am never sure who is eating what from where. and the grape method doesnt work for me because the lowest in the pecking order always seem to miss out...

so when Flubenvetting I make a daily mash - could be pellets or could be something even more delicious, like weetabix or left over rice or pasta or whatever, and add the flub to that.

I'm sure this is just as unscientific as the grape method, but I do know that at least every chook gets SOMETHING!!